Convertible spool reel



May 27,l 1941.

H. L. DE GOLYER CONVERTIBLE sPooL REEL.

Filed Nov. 14, 51958 Patented May 27, 1941 uni-1.1; an. straffe-ifs aan i craim. This invention relates to new'and usefulime provementsf. in spoolreel's for the use of; andV permanentlling-z of-"rnicrofilm and oth-erftypeseof' fil-m.

the' present practice -ofA filing microfilm in' thelargerflibraries enough film is put on each reel and identifyingj means lfor eachY item is* had by giving thenumber of the'l reel uponwhich it may' be' found; thus providing' for several absolutely unrelatedbooksor items` .upon the'same reel', in some'cases as many as twenty or more. It would be the same as if several books were only to be had in one individual binding, and in order to get to any one of which, one would have to handle them a-ll.

In microfilming old and rare books as many as 1600 to 3200 pages may be lmed on a single 100 foot lm. With books averaging three to ve hundred pages the present method would require that ve to ten books be placed on each reel, to utilize its full space and the storage space necessary. Where items of shorter length are concerned, the number of separate items might well run into the hundreds.

One object of the invention is to provide a new type convertible spool-reel whereby a permanent, easily identied spool to which a iilm may be attached for filing, but which will, with sides atf tached, be used on a viewing machine the same as the present type reels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new type spool-reel having detachable side flanges, whereby said flanges may be removed from the spool for filing.

Still :another object of the invention is to provide a convertible spool-reel which will enable the users of said spool-reel to attach but a single microfilm copy to a single spool whereby said -copy may be filed in minimum amount of time and in a minimum amount of space.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following speciiication land by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein means for carrying out the invention are disclosed and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of a spool-reel constructed in accordance with the invention.

FigurewZ is a View in elevation taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3' is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1, and

Figure-5 is1annisometri-c"Viewy of the spool; with sides=detachedg ready for ling.

In the `drawing the numeral I `designates a spool-reelV constructed in accordance-f with the invention; Asp-col II is provided withva square axslallciore I2 anda transverse slot1I3in the outerV periphery thereof; Detachable sidefl-'anges I4 and I 5 having a pair of permanentlyattached pins. I'Son the inner faces thereof-V are provided. 'Iiie'pi'nsk IGT 'are-arrangedto engageholes I'I` in thefsides ofthefspool II'.

A centrallsquare openingf I8I isprovidedn the ange I di saidfopening.correspondingr'to the bore I2 of the spool, and a central circular opening I9 is provided in the ilange I5.

In operation a iilm portion 2!) containing a single item is wound around the spool I I, the slot I3 providing a retainer at the end of the lm. Suitable identifying marks 2| are placed on one end of the spool a-nd the lm may -be led.

With this method, spools containing books or items occupying twenty feet of film may be placed together whilelarger books or items occupying a larger amount `of film may be placed elsewhere.

Thus it may be seen that by this method only a single book or item is placed upon a single spool, thereby eliminating the necessity of the handling of any undesired lm.

When it is desired to place a spool in a viewing machine, the side Iianges I4 and I5 are attached to the spool II iby means of the pins I6 and holes Il. The square opening I8 in the flange I4 corresponds to the bore I2 due to the placement of the pins I6 and the holes I7.

The usual driving mechanism of a viewing machine (not Shown) enters the hole I8, bore I2 and hole I9 in the flange I5 and is suitably secured in the usual manner.

From the foregoing it may be seen that this new convertible spool-reel will make the ling and handling of microfilm copies of books conform to the present methods now in use in all libraries. It will eliminate any confusing cross filing in the card index, and it will permit the handling of each individual item with the same ease and eiciency as if it were an original copy. It is obvious that the side flanges of I4 and I5 can be permanently attached to the viewing machine.

Other than the facile method of handling the item on film, the removal of the sides of the convertible spool-reel leaves only the spool with the film wound thereon, which may ,be led in any case now in use or more preferably, in a special case so constructed as to provide the necessary moisture and conditioning for the preservation of any lm.

The use of this spool minus its sides for filing, properly identified, for films of items of ifty pages or more would not require any more additional space than the present method of filing. Where there were items of much shorter length, they might be iiled together with probably not more than live or ten items on each spool. This would still facilitate the handling of the lm.

For example a three hundred page book of folio size microiilmed, double-frame, together With leader, description, and trailer would require a bit over twenty feet of lm. If placed on a hundred foot reel with four other books of equal length, the reader would be required to handle all ve books, With subsequent wear and tear on the lm, in order to view theone book..

During the time that the one book was being used, the other books, unless duplicate copies were available, would be out of circulation, which same condition would hold true in the inter library loan of microlm.

Due to the convertibility of these spools `into reels by the attachment of sides the cost of these spools or cores would reduce the cost of filing at the same time that they were increasing its efciency.

o The use of these convertible spool-reels would also simplify the ling of microfilm in the business World where microfilm records are being kept in banks, newspapers, insurance, and many other branches of industry, due to the fact that records covering periods of time may vary from several feet to several hundred feet of film.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

As a new article of manufacture, a mounting and identifying means for filing microlm comprising the combination of a spool bearing on its ends indicia representative of the subject matter of the film Wound thereon and having a square axial opening therethrough and opposed pin receivingfrecesses in either end of said spool, said spool further having a slot in its exterior in parallel relationship with said opening to receive a lm end, a flange having pins frictionally receivable in said recesses on one end of said spool having a circular aperture therein in line with one end of the square opening through said spool, a companion flange having a square aperture embracing the opposite end of said square opening and having pins frictionally receivable by the recesses in the opposite end of said spool, said flanges being applicable to said spool and reel When the latter is arranged m a viewing machine, the said apertures in said anges being adapted to be received by the mechanism of said Viewing machine.

HOMER L. DE GOLYER. 

